Seamstress 2
by OutInTheStorm
Summary: Sequel to Seamstress OC but with a little JS too. Jareth is getting ready for Sarah's fantasy masquerade ball, with a little help from Jill...


A/N ~ Much thanks and love goes to Saxonny. As a beta, she keeps me sane, but as a friend, she spoils me rotten. Also, love and kisses to the crew at Marysia's board for inspiring me to continue the story! 

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Purple silk sailed through the air, perilously close to her head, and Jilliana ducked out of the way just in time. She followed its flight with her eyes as it joined the mountain of fabric that was slowly growing in the middle of the floor. 

She briefly winced at the thought of the amount of ironing that the mountain represented.

Turning back, she was just in time to be hit between the eyes with a bundle of green velvet. Spluttering through a mouthful of the fabric, she unwound it from her face and shook it out. A well-tailored jacket hung from her fingers, and Jill winced again as she recalled the sheer amount of time and effort that she had put into sewing it, to have it flung about the room. Sighing, she threw it onto the mountain of similarly discarded garments, and turned back to the source of the flinging.

The Goblin King could barely be seen for the flurry of satin and chiffon. Mumbling in a language she could not quite understand, he was rifling through a cavernous wardrobe, discarding the contents over his shoulder in a multi-coloured blizzard. He seemed oblivious to the fact that his hair, which had been tied back from his face, was coming loose to spring into a fluffy blonde halo around his head, and that his intricately embroidered silk bathrobe was slowly working itself open from where he had cinched it in at his waist. 

Abruptly, the flow of garments stopped, and he whirled around, holding up a stunning grey silk jacket with a high pointed collar and folded back cuffs.

"What do you think?" He demanded imperiously.

Jill looked at the jacket critically, but before she could comment, he had thrown the jacket across the floor and turned to the wardrobe. 

"You are right." He told her over his shoulder as he resumed his rifling. "Far too subtle. I need something that is going to stand out in the crowd." 

Jill stared around at the piles of clothing that were threatening to take over the room. One pile wobbled alarmingly. 

"Your Majesty…" Jill began, and then ducked as a black damask vest flew by her ear. Opening her mouth to try again, she was rewarded with a face-full of orange organza. Choking on the fine fabric, she tore it off of her head and threw it viciously across the room. 

"Jareth!" She shouted, annoyed.

The sudden stillness in the room was frightening. Slowly, very slowly, The Goblin King drew himself up to his full height and turned. Jill cowered before him, her head bowed in deference.

__

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…The sane part of her brain yelled at her. _The Goblin King is going to suspend you head first in the Bog of Eternal Stench…_

The silence dragged on for eternal moments. Jill's mind raced as she imagined the horrors that were about to befall her. Finally, when the suspense became unbearable, the glanced up at him.

The grin on his face was very endearing, as was the mischievous light that gleamed in his eyes. "I was wondering when you were going to start calling me by my name." He commented casually. He flicked his fingers dismissively at her as she started to splutter. "I have more than enough lackeys to call me 'Majesty' and 'Highness'. Let's just keep it at Jareth." 

Jill nodded, and took a deep breath. "Okay…. Jareth." He smiled encouragingly at her hesitation, and turned back towards the cavern of clothing. Long pale fingers flicked over fine fabrics.

"Jareth…" She paused again, and then pressed on. "You have mounds of gorgeous clothing. What is it exactly that you are looking for?"

Jareth stopped long enough to sigh and run his fingers through his hair. "I don't know." He admitted, and turned to her, a slightly sheepish expression on his face. "I just want something… I don't know." He shrugged, then grinned. "I just want to look good for her."

Jill did not have to ask what he meant. She had heard the rumours circulating the kingdom. She had seen the cute little blonde baby boy in the striped pyjamas while he slept. She had not yet, however, laid eyes on the girl that had gotten Jareth into such a tizzy.

Inwardly, she grinned at the idea of the Goblin King being flustered over what to wear to impress a mere girl, but she didn't allow her expression to show on her face. That really would be inviting a quick dip into the Bog. Instead, she let her gaze drift over the piles of garments until it alighted on black cloak with a high pointed collar that was tossed over a chair in the corner. It was so dark that it seemed to absorb the light around it.

She picked it up and shook the creases out. "What about this?" She asked. 

The pained expression that crossed his face was almost comical. "I can't wear that! She has already seen me in it!"

The elaborate show of refolding the cloak and replacing it on the chair gave Jill the chance to compose her features. By the time she faced him again, only her blue eyes gave any indication of her mirth.

"Well, Your… Jareth," she quickly amended, "What_ haven't _you worn yet?" 

He scowled slightly at her amusement. "Jill…" He warned, then a sudden thought changed his mind. He snapped his fingers. "Jill! You are a girl!"

One of her blonde eyebrows arched in a parody of his own usual expression. "Why, yes, I am. Thank you for noticing." Sarcasm laced the amusement in her voice.

Jareth ignored the comment. "You are a girl, and therefore, you should be able to tell me what I should wear. What do you think would fulfil her fantasy?"

Jill grinned. "I know what would fulfil my fantasy..." she muttered, then flushed a little as his head tipped enquiringly. She coughed unconvincingly. "Okay." She closed her eyes to concentrate, and to block out the rather distracting sight of the Goblin King's dressing gown working its way open. _Focus! _She told herself sternly. _There is no way in the Underground he will ever fall for you, so stop daydreaming about it and get on with your work!_ Still, she couldn't stop a wistful sigh from escaping as she turned her mind back to her task. 

Mentally, she began to make an inventory all of the clothes she had made for him since she had begun to work for him. She could hear him fidgeting impatiently and sighed inwardly. When she opened her eyes again, it was to see him looking at her expectantly. "Okay," she repeated, "but I will have to ask you some questions." She waited for his nod of acquiescence before clearing her throat. 

"Are you planning on being the villain or the good guy?"

Jareth's grin turned wolfish. "Can't I be both?" he purred. Jill shot him a warning look and closed her eyes again. _Well, that rules out the white silk jacket…And the black velvet…Maybe something in grey, or blue?_

"Are you trying to seduce her? Tempt her off of her quest?" 

Jill still had her eyes closed, but she could feel the amusement radiate from him. "Of course."

__

Of course. She felt a momentary stab of jealousy, but it was quickly overcome by a feeling of pity for the girl. _Poor thing, she won't know what hit her…_She chuckled mentally as she erased the sky blue cape, the purple frothy shirt and the jade green breeches from her imaginary list. 

"Do you know that you bite your bottom lip when you are thinking?"

Jill's eyes flew open in astonishment. Her hand came up to touch her lips before she could stop it, and she scowled at the smirk that played on his face.

__

Just because he could have any girl within swooning distance…She grumbled to herself. She could feel a blush creep under her skin and fought to keep it away. 

"Uh... okay. How old is she?"

It was the Goblin King's turn to go bright red. "She's.... ah, she's.... fifteen...." His voice trailed off as he glanced at Jill's shocked face. He held up one hand before she could speak. "Now, it's not like that! I am not going to completely seduce the girl. I just want to... distract her..."

Jill's eyebrows rose so high, they threatened to fall off of her head. "Your... Jareth, this may be just a game to you, but do you know how serious this could be? The poor girl is considered underage in her world, and you are going to take advantage of her naivety to stop her from getting her brother back. That's not really fair."

Jareth had walked back to the wardrobe as she talked, but turned to face her at her last words. "No, it isn't fair! Finally, I have found a girl worthy to be by my side, a girl who is not afraid to stand up to me and argue with me, a girl who is loyal and compassionate and would even give up her own dreams for those who she holds dear, and she is too young!" Jill's heart turned over at the despair on his face. He sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair. His voice lowered. "I am not going to seduce her, Jill. I just want her to remember me as something.... more than just an adversary. Is that too much to ask?" 

Jill bit her lip as he turned back to the clothes and ran his hand over them. Frantically, she searched her mind for a change of topic, something to take his mind off of his problem. "You know," she began hesitantly, "it's a pity that you can't postpone this ball for a few days." She could hear herself start to babble as he slowly turned to face her. "I've been working on this wonderful jacket for you, but there is no way I could possibly finish it in time...." Her voice trailed off as he walked towards her, conjuring a crystal in his left hand.

"How long would it take?" He grinned as comprehension dawned in her eyes.

She groaned out aloud. "Trust me to have an employer who can manipulate time." She sighed. "I'll need about three days." Then she glared at him. "You _are_ going to pay me overtime for this, aren't you?"

He grinned as he threw the crystal up in the air.

"Cheap Bastard." 

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__

There is something unnerving about working flat out for three days and ending up back where you started, Jill mused as she watched the Goblin King try on the blue silk satin jacket. _You would think I would have remembered to duck when he threw the green velvet. Or at least remembered the winning numbers for the Goblin Lotto. I could have won the jackpot. _

Then Jill snorted. _What would I have done with a large bag of sparkly pebbles and a bundle of chicken's feet?_

Jareth pirouetted in front of the mirror. "You don't think that the sequins are a bit much?" He eyed the heavily decorated shoulders, lapels, collar and cuffs uncertainly. The multi-faceted beading shot sparks of light from his shoulders.

Sighing, Jill turned and rummaged through a pile of clothing next to her. "It will look a lot better when you are wearing it with more than just your underwear." She told him archly. Grabbing a shirt and a pair of breeches, she tossed them to him, and he caught them deftly in a gloved hand. _Well, well_, she grinned as he stripped off the jacket to pull on his pants, _who would believe that the Goblin King likes boxer shorts?_

She tipped her head to one side and tapped her finger against her teeth, regarding him critically as he finished pulling on the remaining garments and his boots. He straightened the lapels of the jacket and glanced up at her. 

"What do you think?"

"Hmm." She paced around him, straightening the shoulders and readjusting the sleeve. Finally, she stopped in front of him. "Very nice. Perfect for any girl's fantasy." She smiled up into his eyes as she fluffed the fall of his cravat. "You just need a few extra touches." 

Turning, she spied a table in the corner, which was covered in what looked to be jewellery boxes. Wading her way through the sea of silk and satin clothing, she grabbed one box, opened it, and promptly choked. Pinching it between her thumb and index finger, she lifted the jewel-encrusted codpiece from the box with a mixed look of distaste and disbelief.

One of her eyebrows rose. "The family jewels?" She couldn't keep the grin from her face.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "What is the good of being a King if you don't have Royal jewels?"

Jill tried not to giggle. "But does it have to be so…."

Jareth suddenly looked dangerous. "So what?"

"So _big_?" The giggle escaped, and she dropped it back into the box. "Maybe we should see if I can find something a little less…obvious?"

She grabbed a smaller box and opened it gingerly. A small jewelled owl glittered up at her. "Ah, now this is gorgeous." She carried it back to Jareth and pinned it to his lapel. "Lovely. Now, if we could just do something about your hair..."

Instantly, his hand shot up to his head. "What's wrong with my hair?" He asked plaintively. 

She patted his hand soothingly. "Nothing, nothing...." Eyeing the shaggy mane, she had a fleeting thought of pity for his hairstylist. "You might just want to do something different with it." He still stared at her, his hurt look making Jill feel like she had just kicked a puppy. 

"But I like my hair!" 

"Your hair is lovely." Quickly, Jill hastened to reassure him. _Is he pouting?_ "But surely you would like to do something interesting to impress her?" She glanced about wildly as he continued to stare at her. The sequins on his jacket nearly blinded her with their brilliance. "Blue!" She snapped her fingers as the thought occurred to her. "What about if you put a few subtle streaks of blue through your hair? It would really bring out the blue of your eyes…. And tie the whole outfit together." She could see him consider the idea thoughtfully, and she breathed a mental sigh of relief as he turned to view his reflection in the mirror once more. _Crisis, averted! _

"I do believe you are right, Jill." 

"Of course I am right. No woman at the ball will be able to resist you." Jill began to gather her skirts around her to take her leave of the king when a small noise drew her eyes. She looked up to find Jareth staring at her with a look of abject horror on his face. "What?"

"I have just realised, every courtier in the kingdom will be at the ball tonight!"

Jill nodded, confusion creasing her brow. "That is usually who you invite to these events, Your…. Jareth." 

He ignored the small slip. "If every courtier is coming, then that includes…"

"Sabina." The cogs in Jill's brain clicked into place, and mentally, she sighed in exasperation. Sabina, the eldest child of a neighbouring duke, one-time lover of the Goblin King, and all-round red-headed twit. _What ever persuaded Jareth to dally with the idiotic girl in the first place is beyond me…_Jill thought tartly. Sabina and Jill had butted heads often, when the spoilt noble had demanded that Jill spend all of her time making dresses for her, and Jill had refused. It was only Jareth's intervention that had saved Jill from being punished. 

"Sabina." Jareth agreed in despair. The mounds of clothing were not conducive to pacing, but somehow the Goblin King managed it anyway. "If Sabina is there, she will do everything within her power to thwart my plans." 

Jill nodded in agreement. Sabina had not been happy when Jareth had ended their brief tryst, and had let her displeasure be known by sabotaging women she saw as rivals. Although he had seen their relationship as nothing more than a brief dalliance, her obsession had provided him with great amusement in the past. _Well, having women fight over the privilege of sleeping with him would not have hurt his ego any._ Jill gave a mental snort, one she was wise enough to keep in her head. 

Shrugging, she gnawed on her bottom lip in thought. "There is no possible way that you can diplomatically make her uninvited from the ball without causing problems. You are simply going to have to find a way to keep her away from you." _And your latest prey,_ she thought, her lip twisting in amusement. Again, she shrugged, and gestured with one hand. "Maybe you could ask one of your friends to keep her busy?"

She could see him thinking through the idea as he paced. "That might just work." He mused out aloud. "But I will have to find someone who will not use this information against me at a later time." Almost unconsciously, he conjured up a crystal and rolled it back and forth over his hand as he walked. "Someone who will not benefit from this problem by scheming with Sabina." The constant motion of the crystal was almost hypnotic. "Someone I can trust totally." His pacing brought him to where Jill was stood, mesmerised by the play of light from his hands. He grinned down at her. "Someone I know who dislikes Sabina and will go out of his or her way to help me in this." He held out his hand, the crystal perched on his fingertips.

Jill's eyes travelled from his hand to his face, and suddenly his words sunk into her brain. "Oh, no," she begun, shaking her head as the meaning became clear. "You cannot be serious!"

His eyebrow quirked upwards. "I can assure you that I am." With a little toss, the crystal disappeared, reappearing in his other hand. 

"How in the Underground do you expect me to be able to keep Sabina away from you?" Jill threw up her hands. "Not to mention that I have absolutely nothing to wear!" 

With an elegantly gloved hand, Jareth gestured to the mountains of clothing that surrounded them. "Take your pick." 

Blue eyes stared at him in disbelief. "You _cannot_ be _serious_." 

His lips twisted in a lopsided smile. "You have said that before. What makes you think that I am not perfectly serious?" Grabbing a silky white shirt from a nearby pile, he held it against her slight frame, tipping his head to one side in contemplation. "If I remember correctly, you have said before that we are similar in size."

"Yes, but…" She shook her head again, her mind frantically racing. A thought occurred to her, and she pounced on it. "Sabina already knows me! There is no way that she will allow me to distract her." 

"Jill, Jill, Jill…" He shook his head, amusement gleaming from his mismatched eyes. "Is that the best excuse you can come up with?" The crystal in his hand disintegrated, leaving a white, skull like mask with long white ties. He handed it to her with a grin. "It's a masquerade ball, dear Jill. With a mask, and in a gentleman's costume, she will not be able to recognise you." His grin widened as he lifted one hand to grab a lock of her long blonde hair. "Now, if we could just do something about your hair..." 


End file.
